Monash MD in rural/regional Victoria

Opportunities to study medicine in regional and rural Victoria

If you want to get away from the rush of the cities, or your heart lies in a medical career in regional or rural Australia, you can study medicine in regional and rural Victoria. Regional and rural placements offer great hands-on clinical training opportunities with dedicated tutors, clinicians and experienced educators in welcoming communities.

Pathways into medicine at Monash

Monash offers two pathways into the Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine (MD):

Direct entry (school leaver), and
Graduate entry (for those with an approved undergraduate Monash degree)

Monash Rural Health delivers the Monash MD in each pathway for most or all of your medical studies, based largely or wholly in regional and rural Victoria across the north-west and Gippsland regions. You study exactly the same curriculum as students based in Melbourne and sit the same exams.

Regional and rural programs

Extended Rural Cohort (direct entry)

The Extended Rural Cohort is a cohort of direct entry students within the Monash MD. This program gives you the opportunity to spend most of your three clinical training years at Monash Rural Health sites in regional and rural Victoria. The Extended Rural Cohort has its own VTAC code and you must nominate this code to be considered for a place in this program.

Eligible applicants: Domestic students
Places available: 30 (Commonwealth Supported Places)
Duration of course: five years full-time

Monash Rural End-to-End Program (graduate entry)

The Monash Rural End-to-End Program gives you the opportunity to undertake almost your entire medical degree at Monash Rural Health sites in regional and rural Victoria, primarily in the north-west.

Eligible applicants: Domestic students who are currently studying an approved Monash University undergraduate degree
Places available: 30 (Commonwealth Supported Places)
Duration of course: four years full-time

This Monash Rural End-to-End Program is funded by the Australian Government under the Murray-Darling Medical Schools Network.

Where you'll study

Extended Rural Cohort and Rural End-to-End Program students begin their course in different locations studying the theory that underpins their clinical training. Direct entry and graduate entry students then come together for their three clinical training years in a mix of regional, rural and metropolitan settings.

Year Level	What you will study	Location/settings
Years 1 & 2	Foundations in basic sciences	Monash University, Clayton Metropolitan general practice and hospital site visits Regional and rural Victoria (two-week placement in Year 2)
Year A	Foundations in basic sciences	Monash University, Churchill Gippsland Gippsland-based community and hospital placements throughout the year.
Year 3B	Foundations in clinical medicine (medicine and surgery)	Full academic year at a regional hospital in north-west Victoria or Gippsland.
Year 4C	Integration and teams (general practice, women’s health, children’s health, psychiatry)	One semester at a regional hospital in north-west Victoria or Gippsland One semester at a rural community practice in north-west Victoria or Gippsland
Year 5D	Preparing for practice (medicine, surgery, emergency medicine, aged care, specialty selective, scholarly intensive)	Two six-week rotations in regional or rural hospitals Four six-week rotations in your choice of regional, rural or metropolitan hospitals.

Opportunities for one- or two-year placements

A placement in a regional or rural setting during your medical degree can set you up with great skills for any career direction you want to take once you graduate as a doctor. Students who have spent time training in regional and rural health services as part of their degree are well regarded by future employers.

Monash Rural Health offers opportunities for direct entry and graduate entry students to undertake placements for one or two years across regional and rural Victoria in the north-west and Gippsland.